Relationships Are Hard Too
by Angel-kohai
Summary: Well, life couldn't be better. Amy's going to college and surprisingly Shadow, Sonic, and Rouge have to come with! They won't explain why, they just have to for her sake. For her sake? What did that mean? But a couple friends and her boyfriend coming along wouldn't hurt, would it? Oh, but troubling times lie ahead... [RATED T for the usual stuff] *On Hiatus*
1. Risky Business

**Well, you've been here before but I revised the beginning here. So~ you have a whole new scene and things will build a bit slower as I finally get off my butt and write the rest of this. Go on and take look, you're probably reading this backwards anyway. XD Oh! And no more disclaimers in every chapter. The one below will be the only one in this story. Yay!**

_**Disclaimer (for the whole story):**_ I don't own Shadow the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, or ANY of the STH characters. They still belong to SEGA...

* * *

x*Relationships Are Hard Too*x

-Chapter One: Risky Business-

* * *

It was a strange thing, really. Everything was fine, life was as good as it was going to get, and yet _they_ always found a way to mess something up. Crimson orbs stared into the giant jade jewels staring up at him; their owner, a rosy pink female hedgehog. This woman was the very reason why he now questioned his lifestyle, and how she somehow managed to become apart of it. All those questions lead back to her; he did things for_ her. _Why?

Of that he wasn't entirely sure of.

"Please, please, please~!" the female pleaded, her hands clasped together so tight, her knuckles could turn white any moment. He had yet to register why he bothered to say 'no' to her; she was a weakness he couldn't ignore – no matter _how hard_ he's tried. Not that he was going to admit it to anyone…

"Just give it to her already," a new voice he barely knew was there. It's usual sultry tone was unmistakable - though a bit exasperated, but he despised it all the same. Another reason things were so strange. With a sigh, crimson orbs were shut away from the world in thought. All was silent, nobody moved an inch.

When the ebony hedgehog opened his eyes again, he caught the smug look on the female behind the two hedgehogs. She knew, he knew, he wouldn't be able to resist and with a feeling of defeat, he reached into his pocket and produced a credit card two seconds later. The pink female squealed in delight before taking it from him, "Oh, thank you Shadow! You're the best!" she exclaimed.

Shadow only sighed.

"It's about time! C'mon before we miss the sales, Amy," the other female, an ivory bat, said grabbing the pink one and dragging her away.

"Do not let Rouge get her hands on my card," Shadow muttered only loud enough to be heard by one. Amy gave him a reassuring smile as she fell in-step with the bat. That was all he needed; he trusted her...to an extent. That didn't exactly prove that _she_ wasn't going to go crazy as most girls did. As always, Rouge was the "motherly figure" to Amy, and the "bad influence" to Shadow, as _they_ happened a lot more often. He didn't know when the two had gotten so close, but he knew one thing at least.

He better have money left on his card when she returned.

~.~

"Honestly, why does he even try? We could have gone and been back by now," Rouge complained. She now stood in front of a clothing rack full of dresses. Nearby were the dressing rooms for the store, and in one, the feet of her friend were visibly dancing around.

"Well, he told me he had plans..." Amy said from within the small room. Patiently waiting for the bat to come with more "surprise choices" to model, she danced to a beat in her head, "That's usually when he becomes a little stingy."

A scoff was heard, "A little?"

The rosy female let out a small laugh, "Okay, maybe a lot, but I'm sure he means well! I just wonder what he's up to sometimes." She went to peek out of the room only to have clothes shoved in her face. That was the third time she'd tried since coming to the store.

"Try these on, and I said no looking!" the bat scolded. Amy huffed before taking them, "I still have to look around for jewelry," and with that, shut the door before walking off once more.

"If it's Shadow's money, and my clothes...why are you picking them out?"

The ivory woman stopped shortly, before laughing, "Because, I'm the one who knows what Shadow likes _his girl_ to wear. We talk a lot more often that you think, hun."

Footsteps went further away, and Amy allowed a blush to burn its way onto her cheeks. Of course Shadow wouldn't directly tell her what he liked, unless it came from someone else – in this case sly comments from Rouge. Now she was thinking back to her wardrobe, filled with jeans and skirts, and wondered if all along, Shadow was the mastermind behind it. If so, he had done a good job so far…

She groaned at a bitter feeling in the back of mind before trying on the clothes. All she wanted today was a peaceful shopping trip, but _they_ apparently had other plans. Plans that may have been an influence all this time. If she got the chance she would surely get Shadow back for his meddling.

* * *

The pink female looked herself over in the mirror, twisting and turning to see the last outfit at every possible angle. She liked it, admittedly Shadow had sense enough to know what they _both_ liked her to wear. Although, something had to be missing. Quickly changing back, she exited the dressing room at last. Putting away some choices she didn't really like, she wandered over to Rouge by the jewelry. Maybe all it needed was a few accessories.

The curvaceous woman was oblivious as the man behind the counter glanced over every so often, with a certain look in his eye. "Oh, Amy. Come look at this necklace I found."

The man then became aware of the smaller, cuter female. Great, now he was staring at her now. Amy went over and took careful note of how she bent over to look the jewelry. She saw a bunch of heart lockets, silver and gold, among the shining pieces. What was she looking for exactly?

"Um, Rouge?"

"Just look closer," was all she said. Jade orbs concentrated on each and every one. All had one letter engraved in it, usually for the one that started your first name. And then she saw _it._ The odd ball out; a necklace with two letters instead of one – _**SA**_. A mistake, perhaps?

"Isn't it weird that it's even on display?"

"Maybe one of the employee wanted to humor some people by putting it out."

"It's intentional, miss." The two looked up at the male that had been admiring them from afar. He leaned casually on the glass case, having already pulled out the same necklace, and surprisingly, others like it. "You see, necklaces with two initials have been in demand for awhile, but people don't know we have them. The one you're looking at are usually overlooked," he explained.

"Does it have to do with those specific initials?" Amy asked, now a little curious.

"Not really. The company who makes them go by demand, if more people buy 'SA' then they'll make more. Until that happens, we're stuck with the same case full of 'em. Or at least until a different pair because more popular then we replace it. Unfortunately, we're only allowed to let a few be on display at a time."

"Hmm..." Rouge looked over the case a bit more, then returned her attention to the male. "How much?"

"Seventy dollars."

"Is the gold real?"

This made him quiet as he put the gold ones away and pulled out silver, "I can't particularly say that aloud, but hey. I have a silver one, and for you, I'll make it fifty. How about it?" Rouge was already pulling out her card. After wrapping it up, the guy handed it over. "Thanks for your business."

With a smile, she waved him off, thanked him and the two shopping companions gathered their purchases. Amy turned to Rouge with a raised eyebrow.

"Who's the necklace for?"

"You, of course. Who else?" The bat answer like it was the most obvious answer in the world. In this case, it might have been. The pink female was still confused even as the bat put it with her stuff.

"Well, thanks...but why?"

"You obviously wanted it, so I got it."

Her way of actually answering the girl's questions made it a suspicious, but knowing how spontaneous her friends could be, she'd let it go. For now. Without another word, they went to pay for their clothes. Amy had her assumptions, and she had a feeling she would rather not spoil any kind of 'surprise'...

* * *

Humming the tune stuck in her head, Amy kicked her front door shut with her foot and immediately went upstairs. She put down her bags before digging around in one to find the locket Rouge bought. Running a finger delicately over the shiny metal, she thought of pictures to possibly place in the little thing. Her train of thought was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

"Got something stuck in there?" the rosy female said without looking back. Oh, she could almost _feel_ him glaring at her.

"Ha, ha," Came the sarcastic reply. It wasn't a moment later when she found herself being picked up. She had just enough time to put her necklace down before she came face to face with the taller male. Crimson met jade as he stared at her. "I believe you may have missed me on the way in."

"Nope. I saw you. I just simply ignored you," Amy said, smiling. Shadow wasn't amused by her answer in the slightest."Something you need?"

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

"You gonna tell me what it is?"

With a huff, "My card." The smaller hedgehog feigned innocence and pursed her lips. Tapping her chin, she shifted her weight from one to the other. Having thought of a good response, she then let out a gasp.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanted it back _immediately._" Just as he was about to say something, "I think I lost it." His mouth was partially open; almost gaping, almost saying what was on his mind, almost cursing aloud – assuming he actually believed her. But no, he instead glares at her once more.

"Amy." _Uh oh._

"Alright, alright," she giggled. Her name was the only warning she'd get if she didn't want to be on the receiving end of his wrath. Reaching into back pocket, she pulled it out and held it up. "See? Perfectly intact. No scratches."

The glare softened, if only by a little, before he grabbed it. "I'd advise you to not play around. Keep it up, you won't use it anymore," he said. Smirking, she only turned to walk away.

"But what if I used it to buy something _nice_ to wear for you?"

Glancing over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes at him. He stared at her indifferently, seemingly unaffected by her act. "The circumstances won't make a difference," Shadow finally said. At this, the girl deadpanned before rolling her eyes and attending to her new clothes. The ebony male then released a breath he didn't realize he was holding…

~.~

Later that night, Amy found herself blindly feeling around her desk. Among all the things there, she moved her hands until she felt a small, thin book from the stack of others. Grabbing a pen, she carefully looked back at the sleeping form on her bed. Soft breathing could be heard in the darkness, and she sighed. As quietly as she could, she opened her bedroom door and tip-toed her way downstairs.

_Click._

The living room was bathed in a soft yellow glow from the lamp. The rosy female sat on her knees in front of coffee table, set her things down and carefully listened for a moment of two. Upon hearing nothing, she opened the little pink book she brought – _Dream Diary_ – it read. Flipping a few pages in, she found a blank one and clicked her pen.

"_Okay. I barely write in this thing; but pages are filling up more over the last month. The same dream, over and over. Only every time I have it, it progresses somehow...like it's a movie playing in my head. But it's the same thing; it's starts with me leaving for college, and for a few nights that's all it's been. Although, tonight in the dream I met some girl. It's still pretty hazy, but she was harassing me about something I couldn't really catch before waking up._

_It felt too real for me to ignore it. Right before it ended, I saw three things; the girl, something or someone that's blue, and a hand – whether it was gloved or not, I'm uncertain of. I'm sure what any of this means, but it's really bothering me with only a few weeks left before I actually leave. Maybe I need the whole thing to play out before I understand? Whatever it is, it seems important because–"_

Amy's ears perked up at a noise.

She closed the book and listened a bit harder. _Footsteps._ Sighing, she clicked her pen and stood up. It wasn't long before an ebony male was seen coming from the stairs. Their eyes immediately met.

"What are you doing up?" he simply asked.

Clutching the book to her chest, Amy fidgeted under his gaze, "Writing." That was all she could manage at the moment, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. He stepped closer, prompting her to move as well before they came to a stop in front of the lamp. The sound of shuffling feet died down into silence, the wind just outside barely above a whistle could be heard. Sighing, she went to move past him, but he held her back.

"Are you okay?"

Amy blinked once, then twice. It was strange, because she actually had to think about the answer. In some ways, she wasn't. In others, she was. "I believe so..." she replied quietly. She watched as his eyes went to the book encased in her arms. He had seen it before, and knew what it was (after looking at it out of curiosity). Waking up constantly in the middle of the night was becoming a routine for the two.

"You're still thinking about it," Shadow stated. It was as he said, every night he'd catch her. Only this time, it wasn't a question… He had a feeling tonight might be different.

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's all I _can_ think about," Amy said, looking away. "A month flies by a lot quicker than I cared to realize. Don't you think about it too?"

The ebony male exhaled heavily, before pulling her closer. He knew some things she didn't, but it probably made the situation worse in his case. "Yes, I do, but you shouldn't. You're not leaving forever."

"I know, I'll just be _thousands_ of miles away from New York and all my friends–and you… for four years..." she sighed.

"I told you not to think about it that way. If you insist on worrying yourself, at least do it in a positive light."

"The only positive thing is that I'm going off to do what I've loved my whole life. But I'm leaving things and people that _I've come to love_ behind while doing it." Amy felt a hot, prickling sensation in her eyes, but she quickly fought the oncoming tears. Shaking her head, letting out a sad laugh, she moved away from him. "But maybe I _am_ thinking about too much... I've been up long enough. I'll worry about it later, I guess." Amy then retreated to the stairs, wiping her face.

Rather than objecting, Shadow just stood there watching her leave. Tonight was a bit different. He now knew how she _really_ felt. As open as she may seem to be, some things aren't said aloud. He hoped for her sake, she would actually put into words, rather than tears…

_Click._

The room was dark once more, and footsteps were heard shortly after.


	2. Hey Mister!

**Ladies and gents, it's finally happening! The sequel shall go on! I had a good debate about whether I wanted to take it down or continue, and after thinking a bit, I think I have a solid plot for this. The story will be set to follow a week or two after my Thanksgiving chapter in the first installment. So~ Here you are. Also, chapter one is revised so before you read on I'd go back and read that first. Other than that, let's go~!**

* * *

-Chapter Two: Hey Mister!-

* * *

Sheets ruffled as a figure beneath it started to move. A messy head of quills popped out from them, and jade orbs were sleepily revealed. Amy yawned and stretched for a few seconds before looking around. Her room was painted a soft purple from the sunlight hitting her curtains, but despite the lack of bright lighting, she found something missing.

A messy head of crimson striped quills, to be exact.

The pink female peaked under the sheets, just in case she was mistaken. _Hmm...no hedgehog._ Pursing her lips in thought, she threw them back and climbed out of bed. Bits and pieces of last night came back to her as she slowly made her way downstairs. Deciding to not dwell on it for too long, Amy's wakening senses registered the smell of...food? _Well, the surprises keep coming, don't they?_

"He better not be burning anything," she muttered under her breath.

With that thought, she sped up and peaked into the kitchen. There, in front of the stove with nothing but shorts and socks, was a scowling Shadow the Hedgehog. He was glaring at whatever was cooking (cross your fingers it's edible) and muttering under his breath. It was funny, to say the least. Never in her wildest dream would she imagine him standing over a stove trying to _cook_. She had many questions, and thankfully they could be answered as her grumbling stomach alerted him of her presence.

He looked over at her, stared for a few seconds, and looked away. _Well, I'll just get a little closer then,_ Amy smiled inwardly. She winced on the outside as her bare feet touched the cold tiles, but put up with it until she was by his side. Getting a good look, the pans held bacon and the batter for a pancake. Simple enough…

"If you came to see if I burned anything, I didn't." A hand took away her sight and pushed her away playfully, "You may leave now," Shadow said. When Amy was able to see, she was back where she started; outside the kitchen.

Wiggling her toes in irritation, her then stomach growled ferociously in protest. Huffing, she blew her bangs out her face and marched up to him again. "If you haven't noticed, Mr. Tummy is hungry. We need to know _when_ it's ready, not if it's burned," _It'd just be a bonus if it wasn't, _she added in her head.

"You go tell _Mister_ Tummy to get out of your house, because as far as I'm concerned, the only 'we' here is and better be us." Shadow flipped the bacon with a spatula and it landed with a delicious sizzle. The smaller hedgehog giggled.

Her stomach growled again, "He says no."

The ebony male shot her a look and she merely smiled. It was then that jade orbs landed on a few pieces of already cooked bacon not too far away, surprisingly looking pretty crispy. Licking her lips, Amy stared at Shadow. He looked at her, the bacon, her again, then the stove.

"Don't even think about it, Rose."

Not liking his answer, she moved towards it anyway – only to be stopped by Shadow's leg darted out in front of her. From the momentary shock, this allowed him to capture her in his arm, spin her around, and hold her against his body effectively trapping her. His little food deprived monster whined, the sound vibrating across his chest as she got a face full of his white chest fur. Leaning her head back, she stuck out her tongue.

"Can you _not_ do that when your shirtless?" Amy complained. She sighed as his arm tightened its hold on her without totally crushing her.

"Then take it off and give it back." Shadow shot back with a straight face, now flipping the pancake. Her cheeks burned red, as she pursed her lips and glared at something behind him.

"No. I'm stealing it from you," she declared, now angry _and_ hungry.

"And add to the five you already did? No, you won't."

"Watch me. You can't do anything to stop me."

Shadow suddenly reached to turn off the stove with his free hand, the other holding her moved grab the hem of his shirt. He only managed to get it so far up her body before she gasped, and pulled away. Her cheeks a very bright red now, "Don't you dare!" she cried. He simply smirked at her, expressing his amusement at her defiance.

* * *

After eating the breakfast Shadow prepared (which thankfully wasn't burnt!), Amy took a shower and dressed. The ebony male took his shirt (taking it while she _was in the shower_) and Chaos Controlled home to do the same. Since it was December and snow was everywhere in New York, there wasn't much the two could do besides stay at home and bother each other. Not that Amy would mind, she was used to the playful banter. It's only been two months since they announced they were officially dating. Other than shock, everyone wasn't affected by the news too much – Sonic and Shadow were still rivals, but admittedly more _aggressively_ so if the Blue Blur's attention stayed on her longer than he deemed necessary.

In Shadow's terms of 'necessary', that meant three seconds before a threat of a Chaos Spear to the face.

If it were a random male, that meant one second before you _got_ a Chaos Spear to the face.

Amy sighed as she looked out her window, watching the snow flurries dance around in the wind. One more month before she had the ultimate decision to leave for college. No matter how much she'd consider the consequences of getting accepted, it didn't make the decision any less bittersweet. She was beyond excited when she received the email, even celebrated with Rouge with peach ice cream cake. The next day, she literally smacked the ground of reality when she realized how close it was to having to actually _pack_ and _go to Tennessee._

She smiled bitterly remembering she almost had a panic attack when she woke up that day. Shadow came over and helped her calm down, but she still shed a lot of tears. After all, she had just begun her new relationship.

Hell, even _Shadow_ admitted he would miss her when she left. It nearly broke her heart.

_Then there's the dream…_ The same dream she had almost every other night, starting and ending at the same point in whatever it was trying to simulate. At first Amy thought it was just her stressing out over the whole situation and it came back to bite her in the butt. However, when she finally came to deal with it, it didn't stop. Waking in the middle of the night, writing in her dream diary, and going back to sleep occurred more often than she liked.

Shadow was there to help her, though. As much of a night owl as he was, he didn't like being called at three in the morning, and especially not for a crying Amy Rose. The ebony male then decided himself to 'stay' at her house while she seemingly went through the phase. Yet, here he still was a week and a half later…

Amy looked at the clock on her bedside table. She had managed to space out in her thoughts for a good ten minutes. Rolling her eyes at herself, she got ready to head out and go to her favorite cake shop. She didn't care if it was who knows how many degrees below zero, she wanted something sweet and if it was a cold dessert, so be it!

_Let's hope I can resist the temptation of playing in the snow there and back…_

~.~

"I still don't understand why I'm here..."

"For the last time, Sonic, you have to train to actually go with us. Stop being a wimp and grab a weight," Rouge said to the blue hedgehog. The Blue Blur looked at the rack holding the different weights, ranging from ten to sixty. He then proceeded to look around the empty room.

"But there's no one here."

"That's the point, genius."

"But-"

"_Sonic!_ Grab one and lift!" the ivory woman cried. _God, why did Shadow leave _me _to train him? Where is he anyway?!_

Sonic picked up a twenty pound weight and tested it out. It would do, he guessed. If he had "train" as she had put, he never would've agreed to go on the stupid mission. _Not like I was given a choice,_ he thought bitterly. He was going because he knew who could be behind this so-called mass disappearance and if it just so happened to actually be the crazy man, he and Shadow were supposed to stop him.

Simple enough, right?

_Wrong._

"Has Shadow told Amy yet?" Sonic found himself asking aloud. The female bat looked over at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Not that I know of… why?"

"Well, I was just thinking," he stopped when Rouge snickered and said something under her breath. Rolling his eyes, he continued, "Why does the commander want us to keep it a secret from her?"

Rouge stopped lifting the weight in her hand, and looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Why do you think? You don't see us going off to tell random strangers our business, and we know her. If the person behind all this sees us, GUN agents he knows are trying to stop him, and Amy, another innocent person; they'll most likely use her against us." She crossed her arms, "_You _of all people should know that."

Sonic kept a steady pace for lifting his weights as he shrugged. "Yeah, but we don't know if it's Eggman this time. He only did all that because Amy was in love with me..."

"Doesn't make much of a difference. We still can't tell her – at least not yet."

"Whatever," Sonic quickly dismissed.

He's never worked with GUN to know how they function and do things. Shadow and Rouge have been involved with them since first coming to Earth. What he did know was that Amy was his friend – though it took a few days for him to accept it fully. Yes, he apologized for what happened a couple months ago and moved on as quickly as he could, but he didn't think she would too and then drop the 'I'm-dating-Shadow' bomb soon after. Shock was a given upon hearing it, but it seemed to hit him just a bit harder than he thought possible. He didn't hate Shadow, but he was still (in Sonic's eyes) a cocky bastard. Literally, the _last_ person on this planet to be 'boyfriend material'.

Rouge groaning brought Sonic out of his thoughts as she furiously tapped her phone. "What?"

"Shadow's ditching _again._"

"So?"

"It's his turn to watch you!" she cried out, sighing shortly after.

Sonic scrunched up his nose, "Watch me… I'm not a baby."

"..."

"..."

"Anyway..." Rouge said, "I don't actually have time to train you today. I have to be somewhere, so you either come with or stay here and not do anything stupid." She paused as she realized what she just said. "Nevermind. Get your stuff, you're coming with me."

"What if I don't wanna?"

"You don't have a choice. Come willingly or I drag you and tie you to the back of my car."

Sonic blinked once, then twice. He put the weight back in its place and gathered his stuff. "Alright, fine," he said finally. He then stopped, "Where _is_ Shadow? Why'd he bail?" All it took was one look for to guess.

* * *

"It's about zero degrees out here and you're eating ice cream?"

The pink female shoveled a small piece of her cake into her mouth as they continued walking to answer his question. "I don't care how cold it is. I'm hungry and I want ice cream on a cake. Sue me!" she giggled. A few seconds later she winced and held her head, "Ah! Brain freeze!"

"Hmm..." Shadow hummed, his way of saying 'I told you so'.

"Oh, shut up. You can't say because you've never tried it," Amy said, sticking out her tongue at him.

"It's a _peach_ flavored ice cream...on a cake. I don't eat sweets as it is."

"Um, that's not what my cookie box told me last week when it had four out of six missing from it."

Shadow blinked, before looking away. Not much proof was needed to know it was him – even if he wouldn't admit it. But he prayed she wouldn't start calling him 'her wittle cookie monster' again… He shuddered just thinking about it. "_Nng.._ ow," Amy groaned, holding her head again.

"You should stop before you hurt yourself. At least what until you get home to eat it."

Rubbing her head, she smacked her lips. "Fine..." she sighed. Her jade orbs then looked over at the park as they passed it. All the snowy white goodness just glistening in the sun, ready to be played in. Oh, she wanted to go and play~! But she had cake. Mr. Cake wouldn't survive her trying to dive headfirst into a giant pile of snow. If only he could...

"Look away before you think about trying something, Rose," Shadow said.

Amy began to pout as she moved closer to the ebony male for warmth. "I _wasn't._ Mr. Cake is with me now."

"Stop naming stuff _Mister_."

"You're just jealous 'cause I wanna date a cake."

"I am not jealous," he stated, having to bite his tongue before he continued. He knew she named things like they were male to get at him. He was a boyfriend on the possessive side. Other than getting a sight of seeing him riled up, she found it incredibly sweet and unbearably cute. Just think, 'Shadow the Ultimate Life Form jealous of a cake trying to steal his girl'.

The rosy hedgehog giggled to herself and leaned her head on his shoulder."Whatever you say, Shady."


	3. Wait, What?

**I'll admit, this is not the best chapter...but writer's block is a real bitch sometimes. DX Rather than delaying an update for another freaking year, I just said fuck it, and went with what you're about to read. Kinda like a filler chapter, but at the same time...not. But anyway; time lapse!**

* * *

-Chapter Three: Wait, What?-

* * *

"Look, I get you're trying to play the part as best you can, but this is getting a bit ridiculous."

Shadow stared the ivory woman in front of him indifferently. Of course she was upset he wasn't exactly taking part in getting Sonic ready for the 'ultimate surprise plan', but to be honest he could care less. He didn't care why the commander chose him to go along, knowing he and Rouge were perfectly capable by themselves. All because of _who_ it might be… Like who they were dealing with made a difference?! He'd just kick their ass to the moon and back and still not care.

"Could you at least _listen_ when I'm talking?!" Rouge exclaimed. Huffing, the ebony male crossed his arms. He really didn't feel like being bothered with this. She'd put up with the blue annoyance for years but it had to be a problem _now._

"I am listening."

"Really now? What did I just say then?"

"Something about me playing a part..."

Rouge crossed her arms, mimicking his actions. "Okay, so you are, but could I get a response? I mean, seriously, you're really acting like you're never going to see her again."

"Well, if you hate it so much, I'll stop and just tell her already," Shadow said, narrowing his eyes. He decided to leave the nasty remarks he wanted to say in his head for the sake of not causing a scene.

"You know you can't-"

"Yes, I know I can't, but I'm not a fan of seeing her suffer," the male quickly threw back harshly. "It's been another week. I'm sick of seeing her depressed. If I told her, it's _not going to make a difference._ All the bullshit about her being in danger is just what it is. She's not even down there yet!" Shadow bit his tongue and held back everything else. She didn't need personal details. This was his decision; not hers, not the commander's. He'll be damned if she backs out because of having to leave him and everyone else behind.

"Shadow..."

"Save it Rouge. Do whatever with Sonic, I'm leaving."

"Are you going off just to tell her? The commander is going to be checking in this time, you know that right?"

"Don't know yet. And even if I do, I haven't started caring yet, you know that right?"

Rouge huffed as she watched the hedgehog walk away. _Even if this is for a good cause, in his case, it's probably not the smartest idea he's had..._

"Well, at least he bothered to come in this time. Although, he doesn't seem to be staying." Sonic came through the door a few seconds after the other hedgehog stormed out.

"No...he's not."

"His loss then-"

"No, because we aren't staying either."

~.~

Shadow deadpanned.

Of course she just _had_ to follow him.

The ebony male rubbed his temple in an attempt to calm his nerves. Rouge had a habit of being somewhere she didn't need to be, and today only confirmed her habit. What makes it worse is that she only seemed interested in meddling with _his_ affairs more than others. Didn't she have Knuckles to bother?

When she called out to them for a fifth time, he stopped walking as did Amy, allowing the ivory woman to catch up while dragging Sonic along. His hopes of her going away if they ignored her were crushed. The pink female sighed, and if it weren't for the cold temperature, Shadow was sure he wouldn't have known she did.

"Hey Amy! Haven't seen you in a while," Rouge greeted when they got close enough.

"You saw me last week."

"Well, time flies by a lot quicker than you realize, hun. You didn't think I was gonna let Shadow keep you all to himself, did you?" she said, resting her hands on her hips. Amy blushed, even as she rolled her eyes. Shadow took this as the perfect opportunity to cut in.

"I thought you had somewhere to be."

"I did, but I decided now would be a good time to hang out! I just so happened to run into Sonic," the bat lied smoothly. The ebony male frowned; he knew exactly what she was doing. He scolded himself mentally, knowing if he hadn't told her his intentions, she wouldn't have invited herself. _Okay, partially my fault,_ he sighed inwardly. _Doesn't make it any less irritating,_ he concluded.

"So, how about we go into town? I don't know about you guys, but I could go for some pizza right about now..."

Amy perked up a bit upon hearing that. Shadow frowned in his mind, hoping he could somehow direct it towards the bat. _Curse her and knowing Amy!_ He turned his attention to said female, but she and Rouge were already walking away, chatting as if the two males didn't exist. Which actually made him realize, Sonic was still there.

"Sorry, Shads. I tried to stop her."

"How hard exactly?"

"Well..."

"I thought so."

* * *

After eating, to which Shadow was ever so generous to pay for, the group found themselves wandering to the park upon Amy's request. Rouge agreed immediately, knowing this would further delay the ebony hedgehog's plans. However, the bat had another thing coming when he suggested to play a game of _hide-and-seek. _His rosy companion was delighted to play, Sonic bouncing around just as much as she was, but Rouge saw this as a declaration of war.

He was winning the battle, but she wouldn't let him win the war.

The glare she pointed towards him spoke deafening volumes, and he only met it with a smirk and glare of his own. He wouldn't be satisfied until he got his way, even by any means necessary. Shadow snatched Amy away when the countdown began, and they briskly walked to a collection of trees to hide in. Seeing as all of them were bare, he opted to sit behind one and put Amy in his lap, hoping her bright fur was as hidden as possible.

The pink female was too busy trying to contain her giggles, but failing miserably. "Do you think they'll split up to find us?" she asked, peeking around the tree.

"I highly doubt it," he responded, looking as well. "Only if they're smart, they will." Amy let out a small giggle when the blue hedgehog immediately turned around to call out. Of course, he figured that would work. _Now would be a better chance than ever to tell her, _Shadow figured as he saw them start in the opposite direction they were in. _But how?_

His thoughts were interrupted when Amy turned around to face him, straddling him. "So, you wanna tell me why you, of all people, wanted to play hide-and-seek? I didn't take you for the type to play games," she said, a mischievous glint in her jade eyes. Maybe being off alone with her was mistake...

"I'm not," he said simply.

"Then tell me what's up." Her hands found themselves wrapped around his neck, his resting on her hips. The male stared at her as he heard another shout from Sonic. It was suddenly becoming incredibly hard to focus, even harder when delicate fingers moved through ebony quills expertly.

"It wouldn't matter unless you're trying to tell me something, too..." he muttered breathlessly. _Okay, wait. No. __Now is _not_ the time to get sidetracked__–_

"Hmm. Depends. I do have _a few_ things on my mind," Amy spoke quietly. A single digit traced his jawline, "But how should I go about telling you?" The pink female purred when his fingers ran through her hair. These small moments were pretty scarce despite all the talk of enjoying it while it lasted. The rare times Amy let her instincts take over. This only alerted him that he should tell her and get it over with!

"Rose–" She shushed him with a finger to his lips, brushing her own over them a moment later. Mentally, he cursed her for having such an effect on him at all. This _was not_ apart of his plan...although it wasn't a bad addition either. And just like that, Shadow gave in; until a throat being cleared brought them back to reality.

"So _this_ is why you wanted to play hide-and-seek, eh?" Sonic said, smirking. The ebony male narrowed his eyes and glared at nothing in particular as Amy's cheeks burned a bright red. The blue hedgehog leaned coolly against a tree, while more footsteps came their way.

"Couldn't have better timing, could you faker?"

Sonic snorted and crossed his arms, "Couldn't be better! If you wanted to be alone, you should've just said. No need to be sneaky about it." He snickered as Rouge then decided to come around the corner, lucky enough to see the two as well.

"Oh my. Guess we found them just in time…" the ivory woman purred, putting her hands on her hips. Amy crossed her arms, and pouted.

"You act like we were doing something," the pink female snapped.

Rouge smirked, "Hun, you seem to forget I know Shadow just about as well as you do – if not better. Any longer, who knows what you two would've done." She then stepped forward and tapped them. "You've been found. Good luck finding us."

Shadow stood before helping Amy up as the bat and hedgehog walked away, laughing to themselves. The pink female glared after them. Things became quiet as they stood there for a few minutes. "Can we ditch them?" she suddenly asked. The ebony male smirked.

"I thought you'd never ask."

~.~

Instead of looking for Sonic and Rouge, the couple walked away from the park as quickly as they could. It would be a little while before the other two figured out they were gone, but it was enough time for them to successfully make it to Amy's house. Said female giggled as she threw off her coat and boots.

"I wish I could be there to see the look on their faces!" she laughed. She walked towards the living room, rubbing her stomach absently. Shadow followed, taking a seat on the couch.

"I don't. There are some thing we need to discuss," he said. He decided to just come out with it, seeing as there were no more distractions...other than the female herself. She stretched herself out, laying her head in his lap before looking up at him.

"So there is something you want to say to me."

"If you knew that, you wouldn't have distracted me." The lazy smile that appeared on her face told him otherwise.

"Maybe, maybe not. But in all seriousness, what's going on? You going on some mission again?" _Couldn't have said it better myself…,_ Shadow thought.

"Well...yes," he paused, not really knowing how to continue, "But it's a bit more complicated than I thought."

"On a scale, how complicated?"

"Most definitely a ten."

Amy shrugged, "Okay, so pretty complex, but surely nothing you can't handle, right?"

"That's the thing; you see–" The phone ringing cut him off. The ebony male groaned, knowing who would be. "Please do not answer that," he muttered a bit too late as she already had it in her hand.

"Hello?"

"_**Amelia Rose the Hedgehog, the next time you leave without telling me, it will be the last!"**_ came Rouge's shout on the other end.

Shadow only stopped for a minute to question it, but moved on. "Rose..." Amy made the motion for him to continue, but she was barely paying attention. He huffed and crossed his arms, once again glaring at nothing in particular.

"It's not my fault. A girl needs to be left alone sometimes," Amy replied calmly.

"_**You mean alone with **_Shadow**_. You have other friends too!"_**

"And I appreciate you taking me out, but really. I saw you last week."

"_**And? I have just as much right to see you as Shadow does and if you honestly think I'm going to sit back and–"**_ Amy hit the mute button as she went on her rant. She turned back to Shadow.

"You were saying?"

Crimson orbs narrowed, their owner not impressed. "Just hang up on her."

"That would be rude, Shadow. Just tell what's wrong."

"..."

"..."

"Fine."

"So what's making this mission so much more complicated than the others?"

"As weird as this may sound, you in some way..." Amy stared at him with a blank look, blinking once; then twice. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Nope."

Shadow sighed, "It's not really something I can explain, but–"

"_**Don't listen to whatever Shadow is saying! He's crazy!" **_Rouge exclaimed, finally catching on. Growling, said hedgehog took the phone from her and took mute off of their end.

"Rouge, shut the hell up!"

"_**No! I told you already, you cannot tell her!"**_

Amy looked between the supposedly crazy boyfriend of hers and the phone. "Um...tell me what?" A finger was put against her lips in an attempt to shush her.

"You do not control me. Just stop trying to interfere!"

"_**Not until you giving trying to tell her about the–" **_The ivory female suddenly went quiet and she cursed. Amy, however, was trying to put two and two together to make some sense of why they were arguing.

"The what? The mission?" she guessed.

"_**..."**_

"Yes, exactly that," Shadow sneered, glaring at the phone now.

"What's so bad about it? Why can't I know?"

"_**It's not that simple, Amy. The commander told us you weren't supposed to know. It-It's about the college you're going to..."**_

"My college? Wait, what?!"

* * *

**Yeah. This happened. Not proud, but I don't feel like rewriting it for a fifth time. Until next time ~Angel**


End file.
